US Def Sec-Door Open To Military Dialogue w/China

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been speaking following the conclusion of the NATO defence ministers' meeting in Brussels. Austin states that the door is open to military dialogue with China, saying "They can pick up the phone anytime". The seemingly-positive statement comes in contrast to the frosty non-meeting between Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu at the Shangri La Dialogue, where no discussions were held and only a cursory handshake observed.

• The comments come as another signal of efforts by the US and China to use less antagonistic rhetoric towards one another just days ahead of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's upcoming visit to Beijing.
• On the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive Austin states that "We must be patient as Ukraine wages military campaign".
• On Sweden's NATO accession, Austin says that he encouraged his Turkish counterpart to approve Sweden's bid but that he had nothing more to report in terms of progress.